A Mask Breaks A Person
by StandingHauntedInTheShadows
Summary: Naruto's mask is breaking. And with it, he is too. Only one person seems to notice. No one else seems to care. Can that one person save Naruto before it's to late? Smart!Naruto (He's going to be smart but he's still going to be Naruto.)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! StandingHauntedInTheShadows here! I just realized that if you take the first letter of each word in my name it spells: SHITS... So, I'm gonna go by Shadow. I have nothing really to say so…**

**Warnings: Dark themes and possible yaoi.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, sure, I own Naruto. Ha. If I did I'd be taking over the world. I need someone to help me with these things… Point blank, mine suck.**

**ON WITH ZE STORY!**

* * *

A small boy no older than five screamed. He looked innocent to those who didn't know. Or chose to ignore that gruesome day that some would argue was so long ago. His blond hair was matted with blood. Whisker-scarred cheeks bled, salty tears mixing in with the crimson liquid.

A man came into view. He was swaying. Drunk. An empty, broken beer bottle dripping with blood was in the stumbling, laughing, smirking man's hand. He brought it down onto the child's back drawing another scream from the young boy's innocent lips.

"Demon scum. You deserve so much worse than this!"

The man brought the bottle down again cackling. The bottle shattered into oblivion and the man threw the last pieces aside.

"Hey brat," the man spat. "You got lucky today!"

The man grinned and the abused child knew at that moment that he was going to try and kill him. The man got out a kunai and stabbed the child narrowly missing his heart. The man laughed and his grin widened. He left the child alone in the abandoned alley. The poor boy was bleeding heavily and one would think that he would surely die; but no. The child was used to this and pulled the kunai out wincing at the pain. He slowly pushed himself into a kneeling position.

He didn't know how but he always healed and never died. He thought that it had to do with the names he was oh so often called. They all revolved around one thing, demon.

He put those thoughts aside and decided to focus on the fact that he had to get back to his apartment. He started to move but suddenly completely lost it and screamed in anger, in pain, in longing. He then screamed five life changing words, "Why can't I just die?!"

He collapsed onto the pavement with labored breathing. After a mere two minutes he regained control of his bleeding and broken body and pulled himself up swaying slightly. He slowly dragged himself to his apartment. One block to go he thought to himself. Come on Naruto you can do it.

Naruto Uzumaki. The child who was abused by the very village he lived in. The child who was forced to grow up so much faster than he should have had to. The child who hid himself behind a translucent mask of happiness, and seven years later this mask has started to crack. And with that mask, the very boy has begun to crack. No one knows. No one cares. Not to this very day. Naruto's story is going to be told. It has to be told. For if it isn't, he will continue to suffer. He will die in pain. And no one will ever know.

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**AN: I know! It's incredibly short. This is meant to be more of a prologue than anything else. If anyone is interested in being a beta please contact me! I have a slightly limited knowledge of Naruto because Netflix took away my Naruto. **** So, because of that a beta would be **_**really **_**helpful. I'm trying to decide whether or not to have yaoi so, give me your opinions! I would appreciate reviews but take note of the fact that all flames will be used make S'mores with the good reviewers. This is my first actual posted fic and I'm not very confident about my writing so I care about your opinions and what you think. I DO NOT WANT YOU TO GO EASY ON ME! As long as it's not a flame, it's fine. Just a side note, I may not be able to update very often. So, click the pretty button and tell me what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! It's me again! I know, it's been about two months. I suck. Things have been pretty rough with me and, I had no idea what the heck I was about to get in to when I posted this. So, sorry. I do want to say, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! That's tomorrow and I wanted to wish you all a wonderful time. You guys are fabulous. **

**Okay, review time!**

**To the guest! I agree with what you said. I never actually wrote it to post it... That's what makes me all the more happy at having four reviews, seven favorites, and fourteen followers. AMAZING! I hope to have more of the villagers hatred shine through in later chapters. Thanks for reviewing!**

**_Kailene_****, THANK YOU!**

**_IWishIWasACheescake_****, I know! I felt bad for him when I was editing it... It will get better for Naru-chan!**

**_Black Belladonna_****, Really?! I could really use the help! There's only one problem though... You're not qualified for a beta according to fanfiction... :(**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! *Sob* It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto! **

**Warnings: Mild Language**

**Now, what you all have been waiting for, the chapter!**

**EDIT 11/24/12: I got some reviews that I agree with so, I decided to fix some things that I failed at. I fixed Kakashi's POV. As I was changing it I realized something. I wrote half of it in third person. Fail. **

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Help me. The words stuck in his throat as he stared across the field at his new sensei and teammates. Kakashi was talking to Sakura, trying to get her to stop thinking about Sasuke. The object of her fantasies was standing there looking bored. Naruto had been planning on asking Sasuke for help on his basic chakra control. Naruto knew that it was pointless, not even the Kyuubi could help. He just had to much chakra. He could try though. It was something you needed as a ninja, chakra control. he had started thinking about asking when Kakashi had told him to work on the leaf exercise. The one that used a miniscule amount of chakra. Naruto had tried it once, and failed. When he looked over to ask Kakashi for something requiring more chakra, he discovered that his sensei had left. Naruto tried several more times and failed each time. It was at that point that he had decided to stop.

Naruto continued to sit under a tree until he realized that Sasuke was coming over. Shit! He tried to scramble and get the leaf but, it was to late. Sasuke knew that he hadn't been practicing. Meh. I can't do it anyway. Naruto thought. When Sasuke reached him, he took a leaf, and stuck it on his forehead. Cocky bastard. Sasuke walked away, leaving Naruto in peace. With nothing else to do, he entered his mindscape to talk to Kyuubi. She would know how to cheer him up.

Naruto opened his eyes and saw himself in a sewer. He smiled and started walking. Soon, he reached a door with a chibi fox on it; he had _some_ control over what his mindscape looked like. He knocked and upon hearing a "come in" opened the door. Inside was a woman in a red kimono. She had crimson red hair and fiery reddish-orange fox ears. The strangest part about her though, was that she had nine tails swinging behind her.

"Okaa-san!" Naruto shouted.

"Hello kit. You know, it gets awfully boring around here. I can't even leave this room..."

Naruto thought for a moment then said, "I don't know what to do about that."

The woman, Kyuubi, teased her adoptive son by saying, "Don't think to hard or you'll hurt yourself!"

Naruto pouted and didn't respond after that. He suddenly stood up, making Kyuubi confused.

"I can hear someone calling my name," as he said this, he frowned. "They're being persistent. Bye Okaa-san!"

He opened his eyes in the real world and was seeing green. As the person backed up and his eyes focused, he realized that it was his masked sensei who had been calling his name.

"You okay?" Kakashi asked, "You've been dead to the world for the past ten minutes. I think."

"Whaddya mean you think?!" Naruto questioned, annoyed that he couldn't continue talking to his mother.

"I mean," the masked ninja started, "It's been ten minutes that we've been standing here."

Naruto sighed and got up. "Why am I needed? I was perfectly happy how I was, ya know."

"Well, you've been slacking off. I gave you an assignment and I expect you to do it."

Naruto's reply was, "I can't do it."

"What?" Was Kakashi's surprised reply.

Not what he was thinking thought Naruto, inwardly smirking.

"Can't do it," he repeated in an amused tone.

"Why!?" asked Kakashi, flailing his arms.

"Don't know," Naruto replied deciding that he was having _way _to much fun with this. Nah, Kakashi made him stop talking to his mother. He deserved it. Also, as stated earlier, Naruto _did_ know; he just wasn't going to share with the world that the demon the people hated so much, was his adoptive mother. Yeah, that would go well.

Kakashi stared at him. Naruto stared right back. One, two, three minutes when by. His sensei sighed and backed up, he knew when he had been beaten.

"I've had enough of you all for one day; you can go home," Naruto laughed in his head. His sensei really did know when he was beaten.

* * *

~*^*~ Naruto's House ~*^*~

He was bored; really, truly, honestly bored. He had gotten home about an hour ago and had talked to Kyuubi for a while. Then she decided that she wanted a nap and kicked him out. Naruto thought about making dinner, ramen and sink-water. Yeah, that didn't sound good to him right now. A shower would've been good except for the fact that complex owner refused to send hot water to a 'demon.' So, yeah. No cold showers today. He didn't really have anything other than his necessities. Therefore, he had nothing to do.

Naruto stared at the ceiling and did nothing. The quiet enveloped him and when someone knocked on his door, he almost screamed. Naruto's eyes wide, he got up and slowly backed away from the door. How could he have been so careless! The sky had grown dark and he hadn't even noticed it. It was dangerous after dark. Everything bad happened after dark. No one could hear his screams after dark. In his panicked state, he didn't hear that it was his team at the door. He continued backing away; eventually hitting the wall. He clawed at the wall, hoping that he would grasp a window. If he ran to the forest they wouldn't find him.

Someone kicked his door down and he screamed, falling into the fetal position, ready for any pain that was coming. But, it never came. He slowly uncurled himself and saw his team looking down at him with shocked faces. Naruto continued to shiver, the after affects of his panic attack ebbing away. His eyes focused and unfocused, then he passed out.

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O.o Third Person Following Kakashi O.o

Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi had been standing outside of Naruto's door for two minutes and he still had yet to answer. The masked ninja knocked once more and shouted Naruto's name. He was in there; Kakashi knew it. He had been hearing movement since he had started knocking. The only problem was, the movement sounded frantic, scared. He heard a small crash and kicked the door down. What he saw surprised him.

Naruto was pressed up against the back wall of his apartment. He was hyperventilating and he had tears in his eyes. He was clawing at the wall, most likely trying to reach the window. Naruto screamed and fell into the fetal position. He was shivering and seemed to be waiting for something. Whatever it was, it never came. Kakashi walked over, Sasuke and Sakura following him. Naruto slowly unfolded himself, still shivering. His focused, then unfocused. His eyes stayed unfocused and he passed out. Kakashi stood there for a moment then moved to pick him up.

Sasuke held his hand out and said, "Stop."

"Why?" Kakashi asked, "He obviously needs help."

"You don't know what's wrong with him. He could be mentally unstable for all we know. That's what it looks like to me. It would most likely be best to leave him alone until we know what's wrong."

Sasuke had a point, but, Kakashi couldn't just leave one of his students like this. It wasn't right. He informed Sasuke of this and picked Naruto up.

"We're taking him to the hospital. I think he'll need it; we have no idea what's wrong." He started walking toward the village hospital and Sakura followed immediately. Sasuke stayed put for a moment, then followed. When they arrived at the hospital, the receptionist yawned and didn't look up.

"Name and patient's name?" She asked monotonously.

"Hatake, Kakashi. The patients name is Uzumaki, Naruto." Upon hearing Naruto's name, she gasped.

"Get him out of here!" She screamed, "We don't need demons to infect our patients! **Out!**"

Sakura gasped. "Demon! What? What is she talking about!?"

Kakashi glared at the receptionist and said, "You'll be hearing from the hokage." He then turned and addressed Sakura, "It's nothing. People just don't like Naruto being a prankster. It's nothing, really."

With that, Naruto began to wake up.

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~^-^~ Third Person POV (Following Naru-chan again!) ~^-^~

Naruto opened his eyes to see a white reception room. The hospital! Naruto tried to sit up but failed for multiple reasons. Number one, he was in Kakashi's arms. Number two, he was still out of it and he became immensely dizzy. Kakashi looked down at Naruto in surprise.

"You're awake?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but his throat felt dry and scratchy. He was confused. Why was he here? He knew how he got there, (Kakashi had carried him.) but why? Then he remembered. Like a tidal wave, the memories came back. How could he have not realized it was them! His secret could be out now! The villagers would just worsen the abuse; others knowing only made it all the more painful. For him. Only him. They thought that they were helping. He told them that they were. But they only only made it worse.

Kakashi watched as Naruto's face showed confusion, panic, and finally, took on a dark tone. Something that shouldn't be on the face of someone so young. It was a mix of anger and sadness, he could see hurt in his student's face too. It was disturbing really, so many emotions on what should have been a happy face. What had happened? Naruto never seemed like the type to be afraid. In the time that he had known him, Kakashi had recognized that Naruto was special. He was a bit of an idiot but, he the potential to be something great.

Sasuke watched Naruto's actions closely. He was being slightly spastic in Sasuke's opinion. His face was showing emotions left and right and you could practically see his mind working. Hn. Why was he acting like this? The woman at the desk had mentioned Naruto being a demon. Naruto was a prankster, and an annoying one at that, but, he wasn't bad enough to be called a demon. So, why? He decided that he was curious. Very curious. He was going to find out why, and no one was going to stop him.

Sakura stared at Naruto. He was running emotions like a freight train; barely stopping at one before moving on to the next. She wondered if he had a disorder. Maybe he was bipolar. She didn't really care though, she was more bored and tired than anything. She thought back to the demon comment. Did that have anything to do with why he was like this? Sakura wondered if it did, hoping to kill a bit more time. She thought about for a moment more, then decided that it didn't matter. The idiot deserved it anyway.

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**Okay, I know it's not much but, I wanted to get something posted while I had the time. I personally think I failed. If anything, I can rewrite the chapter and repost it. Tell me what you think! Please! It seemed pretty rushed to me, but, I don't think I'll be able to post anything anytime soon. At least for a week. (I know it doesn't sound like much but, I won't be able to _write _for a longer period of time. I can only _post_ every other week.) Who knows, I might get something written and up sooner than I think! I just have a con to prepare for, school to attend, homework to do, the holiday season is starting, and I'm having again, family problems. With all that piled up, I'll try to update when I can. Hopefully, those weeks that I can't actually post, will give me time to write, and I can give out longer chapters! Yay! Also, you might have noticed that at the beginning I said that it was a day until Thanksgiving but, the date says the day of Thanksgiving. That would be because I started writing yesterday, and finished today. Yep, this is all I have. FAIL on my part. Kay, that rambling should be enough to last you guys a week. Remember, play nice and I love all my reviewers!**


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